Vibrant Spiritual Life

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

John 2:11

At the end of his gospel John wrote: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). John had carefully chosen the signs with a definite purpose: faith in Jesus and genuine spiritual life The signs were not an end in themselves; they were the means for faith and life.

When Jesus had performed his first sign—turning water into wine—John stated that He “manifested his glory.” No one can miraculously change water into wine. It was a supernatural event, testifying of who Jesus truly is. It manifested Christ’s glory, testifying that He is God. As a result, “his disciples believed in him.”

It’s so easy to read the Bible superficially, missing the richness of what it contains and conveys. Also, sometimes we’re so familiar with the gospel stories that they don’t really grip us anymore. It’s vital, when reading the Bible, to deeply mediate on Christ’s glory, especially as seen and testified by the signs, because it fosters genuine faith and true spiritual life.

Here’s an interesting thought: while God’s goal is to glorify Himself, it’s not self-centered. It’s not without effectual fruit. His glory produces real faith for genuine spiritual life. That’s why the study of Christ’s glory is so important.

Paul wrote: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). True transformation is fully related to “beholding the glory of the Lord”—seeing Jesus for all He is.

Therefore, the best thing God can do for us is to manifest His glory. We need to see a God who is infinitely great and glorious, absolutely sovereign and supreme, and “able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). We need to see a God with whom “all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). The more we see such a God, the more we believe and experience vibrant spiritual life.

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For a Christian, the greatest truth and reality is to be “in Christ.” Just like a newborn is clueless as to what it means to be alive in this world, even so are we many times unaware of what it means to be “in Christ.”

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